


Short Star Stories

by Takara_Phoenix



Series: Phoe's Writer's Month 2019 [15]
Category: Original Work
Genre: F/F, F/M, Femslash, Fluff, Found Family, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Slash, Superheroes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2020-09-01 10:25:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20256592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Takara_Phoenix/pseuds/Takara_Phoenix
Summary: Five oneshots diving a bit more into the characters and what happened before the series.





	1. Summer 2014: Meet the Family

Title: Written in the Stars – The Zodiac Alliance

Disclaimer : All rights reserved to me.

Warnings : m/m, f/f, m/f, superpowers/superheroes, fluff, hurt/comfort

Pairings : Mike/Matt, Giovanni/Luca, Andrew/Tamsin, Teddy/Simone

Main Characters : 

_ Story 1 _ :  Melanie Maguire , Michael 'Mike' Maguire ,  Matteo 'Matt' di Girasole,  Marcella 'Marcy' di Girasole, Luca di Girasole, Giovanni di Girasole, Simone Lugo, Thaddeus 'Teddy' Lugo, Tamsin Evans, Andrew Evans, Philippa 'Pippa' Evans, Bartholomew 'Tolly' Evans

Summary : Five oneshots diving a bit more into the characters and what happened before the series.

**Written in the Stars**

_ The Zodiac Alliance _

_Summer 2014: Meet the Family_

_(Prompt: First Time)_

Mike was a nervous wreck. Melanie found it honestly kind of fun to watch. He had been pacing the apartment for about two hours now. Or at least that was what Rick had said when he had called her to come over because he couldn't deal with this nonsense anymore. He had better things to do – like a date with the cute girl he had met the other week. Second date and apparently he was already head over heels for this Lizzy girl. That was cute. Cuter than Mike's pacing, that was for sure.

“What's the big deal, little brother?”, asked Melanie pointedly.

“Mattie invited me to go to Cathedral City with him”, muttered Mike distressed.

“Okay... And... what's so huge about that? Is it your first weekend get-away as a couple?”, asked Mel a bit confused. “You've been dating for what, three months?”

“Yes but also no. Cathedral City is where Mattie was born. It's where his _family_ lives”, explained Mike distressed. “He wants to take me to the reservation. To meet his family.”

“Oh. That serious already, huh?”, asked Mel surprised. “Wow. Yeah, I'd go crazy too.”

“...Thanks. Really helpful”, muttered Mike with a glare. “What do I _do_?”

“You... get his mom flowers and his dad whiskey, you're polite, you do small-talk, you continue looking at Matt like he hung the sun and moon and then you'll be fine”, assured Mel with a fond smile. “Come on, you're absolutely smitten with him and they'll see it.”

“But what... what if I'm not good enough for their son?”, asked Mike worried.

Mel frowned thoughtfully. “Well, I guess then you have to leave the city and never come back. - Oh, come on, I'm just kidding. Wow. You're really worried. You'll be _fine_. I know it.”

“But it's not just a dinner. We're staying the weekend so if they don't like me, it will be super awkward all weekend. Or oh god what if they think I'm just after Mattie's money?”

“Ah yes. You look like the regular gold-digger”, agreed Mel solemnly. “Mikey. Calm down. Take a deep breath. Think about this thoroughly and think about how much _he_ loves you. He wouldn't let his family dig in on you either. He'd defend you. And if he doesn't? Then, honestly, he's not the right man for you anyway. Because... you are an amazing man, Michael.”

“You're really good at mom-ing”, muttered Mike with a small smile, hugging his sister.

“I've momed you long enough, I'd think so”, grinned Mel, clinging onto him. “You'll be fine. And if you aren't, you call me, I'll drive out to Cathedral City and pick you up, okay?”

“Okay”, mumbled Mike, nodding against Mel's neck. “Thank you, you're the best.”

~*~

“...You went overboard, amore”, noted Matt with his eyebrows raised.

He regarded Mike, who was carrying a _giant_ stuffed unicorn under one arm, a huge flower-bouquet in one hand and a bottle of expensive whiskey in the other. Matt shook his head amused.

“I just... want to make a good... first impression?”, offered Mike with a helpless shrug. “It's the first time I'm meeting your parents. And meeting the parents for the first time is... awful.”

“Awful?”, echoed Matt while the two got into Matt's car.

“Yeah. My high school sweetheart and I... meeting his family was _not _great”, muttered Mike.

“Tell me more about it”, prompted Matt. “We have a long ride ahead of us.”

“Okay”, groaned Mike. “So, Tony, he was... the most popular guy at my school? And he was from a rich upperclass kinda family? I was super awkward as a teen, I mean I was a jock – captain of the football team. Uh. _Actual_ football, not that American nonsense.”

“You say that kind of stuff at home and uncle Andy may just kick you out”, warned Matt.

“Wait. Uncle? There are going to be _more_ people?”, asked Mike distressed.

“Huh? Yeah? My parents and sister, my grandparents since they live together, but after they heard that I have a cute boyfriend I'm bringing over, my aunt and her family decided they'll come over for dinner too”, replied Matt with a shrug. “It's okay. It's just aunt Tammy, uncle Andy and my cousins Pippa and Tolly. You're going to be fine. Now tell me more about this Tony.”

“Uh, he actually moved to Los Angeles too?”, offered Mike and ducked his head. “Works as a barista in some cute little café. It's how Rick met his new girlfriend? Because we went to the café together – I... I swear there's nothing between us anymore, but we were really good friends in high school and it's... nice having someone from London close?”

“Babe”, laughed Matt and reached a hand out to pat Mike's thigh. “I'm not jealous. Everybody has a past. I'm your present. I'm asking because I'm curious and want to know more about you.”

“...Oh”, whispered Mike and nodded. “Okay, so Tony and I, we were like... the golden couple at high school and one day it was time for me to meet his parents. I was so nervous, I called his mother 'mom' instead of 'ma'am' and then I was too embarrassed to speak all evening and Tony, the absolute _wanker_, he of course had to be inappropriate and tease me and make out in his room just for his dad to walk in on us and I swear to this day, the smell of cigars kills every boner of mine.”

“Okay, I'll admit, that is...”, started Matt before he laughed.

Mike grumbled and curled in on himself a little bit. “I  _told_ you. I'm a disaster.”

“You're _endearing_”, countered Matt gently. “My parents are going to love you. My cousins are going to adore you because you're fun. Just... relax. Seriously.”

“What... What do I do with your grandparents? I mean. Your grandfather. Is he like... important? I mean...”, tried Mike before frowning. “I mean that I have _no idea_ how... how things are handled in your... tribe and I don't want to be disrespectful.”

“Don't... call us a tribe”, offered Matt. “But yes, my grandfather is one of the eldest. Just... be polite, respectful and don't say anything dumb. I know you don't _mean_ to say dumb things, I know for you from London all of this is something you only know from TV. If you have any knee-jerk reactions to say something, it's most likely better if you _don't_. Just... treat them like... people. Like anybody else. Like you treat me. I know it currently scares you that you're going to be... thrown into a whole new culture that you're not familiar with. The unfamiliar can be scary. But I'm here.”

“Yeah, you are”, sighed Mike and turned to look at him. “I love you.”

~*~

“Is he... Is he alright, Matteo?”

Matt drew his eyebrows together as he turned to properly look at Mike and see what was going on. When he put one and one together, all he could do was sigh with a fond smile.

“I think that he's unsure whose hand to shake first. If he shakes yours first, mom, he may insult dad, if he shakes dad's first, then it may look like he thinks the patriarchy is true and dad is in charge. So... he just... froze up”, offered Matt in explanation. “He's been overthinking everything about today. I didn't know a human could be _this_ nervous.”

His mom made a soft cooing sound before she just pulled Mike into a hug. “Aren't you adorable? I'm Luca, that's my husband Giovanni. My parents Teddy and Simone, my sister Tammy and her husband Andy and their kids Pippa and Tolly. Now breath.”

Mike took a shaky breath. “Hello, ma'am. Thank you for having me.”

Luca smiled at him fondly and shook her head. Mike bit his lips as he properly looked around and looked at Matt's family. Giovanni was the only one white, his eyes the same shade of light-green as Matt's, his long hair put in a bun and a neatly trimmed beard framing his jawline. He had one arm around his daughter's shoulders. Marcella was a young teen, her dark hair in braids.

“So you're my brother's boyfriend, huh?”, asked Marcella with a pointed look. “Pretty boy, I guess.”

Mike made a high-pitched sound, while Matt's grandmother laughed. Simone was a very elegant elderly lady with nearly white hair, wearing golden jewelry and on-point make-up as she smiled at him. Her husband next to her looked more stern as he stepped forward and offered a hand.

“Thaddeus Lugo. You may call me sir”, stated the man.

“Teddy, don't give him the same treatment you gave me”, huffed Giovanni amused before turning to Mike. “Don't take him seriously. He's a good man. He's just trying to unnerve you. He did the same thing to me when I first got together with Luca. He really played up the stern dad.”

“What else am I supposed to do?”, grunted Thaddeus pointedly, glaring at Giovanni for a moment before focusing on Mike. “I had always hoped for a son to take over the family store, but I was gifted with two daughters instead. One who ran off to win the Olympics and the other who had to fall in love with a white man. Now, my grandson does the same.”

Mike swallowed hard, wishing he could just swallow his tongue. “I, uh, I--”

“Enough with the intimidation now, papa”, interrupted Matt's aunt Tammy. “Let's get the boys inside and get started on dinner, mh? Come inside and don't mind Teddy.”

“No respect for the elders anymore”, stated Thaddeus dryly. “_You_. You better treat my grandson right or I will send the spirits after you to enact my revenge?”

“Don't play a cliche to scare the white boy”, requested Marcella embarrassed.

Mike went to the car and grabbed their bags, though he couldn't help staring. Ever since Thaddeus had mentioned the Olympics, Mike was trying very hard to not stare at Tammy's leg. He had known the story, even before he had gotten together with Matt. Matt's aunt had been an Olympic sprinter but then she had lost a leg in a hiking accident, it had been what had made Matt dabble in prosthesis. Still. Mike  _knew_ it was rude to stare. He knew that.

“You coming?”, asked Tammy with a kind smile, knowing exactly what Mike was thinking.

~*~

Mike heaved a sigh as he collapsed next to Andrew and Giovanni. The two men were sitting outside and drinking the whiskey Mike had brought with him. Matt was inside, playing with his little sister and cousins and his grandparents, while his mother and aunt were watching 'their show'.

“Teddy was only messing with you earlier, you know”, stated Andrew casually. “He's given me the same treatment and he's known my family all of his life. It's not because you're white. He's just grumpy and protective, that's all. Don't worry about it. You'll grow on him.”

“As long as you treat Mattie right. And if you don't – well then my father-in-law will be the _least_ of your problems”, pointed Giovanni out with a sharp smile.

“I would never, sir”, promised Mike hastily, shaking his head.

“Mh”, nodded Andy amused. “My nephew tells us you're a cop? One of the good ones, I hope?”

“Mattie sends me to save you!”, exclaimed Tolly, looking at Mike. “Come play with us!”

Tolly was four years old, with the largest, dark-brown eyes. He held his arms up for Mike to pick him up and Mike was happy to do so and escape even more of Matt's family trying to threaten and frighten him. The fact that both men started laughing when he went inside told him that at least it wasn't mean-spirited, it was just that the whole family were a bunch of sadists with odd humor.

“You gotta relax. This is day one of many”, noted Matt gently when Mike sat down next to him. “This is my family and dating me means you'll have to get used to them.”

“I'll be fine”, muttered Mike, leaning against Matt. “Either they'll kill me, or I'll be fine.”

“I like him. He's funny”, noted Marcella with a smile.

“Yeah, I like him too because he's funny”, grinned Matt, kissing Mike's cheek.

Mike made a small, miserable noise as grandpa Teddy glared viciously at him at that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I am very excessive and when I create a main character, I flesh them fully out to the point of making family trees and such. And while I don't know whether or when Matt's family will come into the main story, so I figured why not used the Writer's Month to introduce them!


	2. September 2017: Becoming a Family

Title: Written in the Stars – The Zodiac Alliance

Disclaimer : All rights reserved to me.

Warnings : m/m, f/f, m/f, superpowers/superheroes, fluff, hurt/comfort

Pairing : Tanya/Babs

Main Characters : 

_ Story 2 _ :  James 'Jamie' Saint John, Jessica 'Jessie' Saint John, Babara 'Babs' Burkhart, Alaula Pele 'Ally' Ahuura, Leander 'Andy' Vaughn, Tatiana 'Tanya' Tarasova, Ronald 'Chess' Chesterton

Summary : Five oneshots diving a bit more into the characters and what happened before the series.

_September 2017: Becoming a Family_

_(Prompt: Accidental Child Acquisition)_

Jessie was the first one to notice them, because she took out the trash that day. Two kids, waiting for said trash to pick out the good stuff. It was clever, she had to admit. She remembered her and Jamie doing the same thing as kids. Restaurants were the best place to score dinner. When they noticed her, they grabbed what they had and ran, the taller girl clinging tightly onto the younger boy's hand as they ran as fast as they could. Jessie furrowed her brows. She'd have to keep an eye on this.

“Guys, we—oh good Lord. I just saw things about Babs that I never wanted to see. You have _blinded_ me. Why would you do this to my poor ace eyes?”, groaned Jessie.

She covered her eyes and quickly turned away, while Babs and Tanya on the couch huffed. Tanya was red-cheeked as she hurried to cover herself, while Babs flipped Jessie off with a glare.

“You _knew_ I had my girlfriend over. You were supposed to go out with someone!”, huffed Babs.

She looked furious. She always did when Jessie got in the way of sex. Jessie smirked unapologetically, shrugging at the two women. Tanya was fixing her hair carefully.

“I still don't get how this thing between you works”, stated Jessie.

“When a girl and a girl like each other really much-”, started Babs patiently.

“I know how being gay works, you dork”, huffed Jessie and rolled her eyes. “I mean, Tanya's Jamie's ex. And Jamie lives here. And you're making out on the very same couch where Jamie and you made out before, Tanya. How's that work?”

“We're adults”, stated Tanya with a pointed look. “Why wouldn't Jamie and I be able to stay in friendly contact? We broke up with each other, it's not like he broke my heart and I can never look into his face again. Not everyone has to be as dramatic as it is on TV.”

“...Oh. Well, that makes sense”, hummed Jessie. “Well, this whole 'relationship' thing, I'm just looking at it from the outside. You allosexuals _fascinate_ me.”

She smiled mischievously at them and winked, while Babs huffed. “ _Why_ are you here?”

“Oh. Yeah. There were two street-kids stealing food out of our trash-can. Keep an eye on that?”, requested Jessie with furrowed brows. “Kids shouldn't live on their own on the streets.”

“Oh”, whispered Babs, nodding slowly. “Okay. Sure. Will do.”

“Would you now please _go_?”, requested Tanya pointedly. “We were in the middle of something.”

Jessie threw her hands up in the air and left. Tanya smiled pleased and returned her attention to her girlfriend, pleased they had the room to themselves again. Babs looked at her with hooded eyes before slowly leaning back on the couch, luring Tanya in to follow her. Tanya sat between Babs' legs and happily leaned all the way down to kiss Babs.

“Okay. This isn't working”, sighed Tanya and sat up after a moment. “You're distracted. What is it?”

“Sorry”, grunted Babs, running her fingers through her hair. “Orphans eating out of the trash are kind of a mood-killer, you know.”

“Okay”, sighed Tanya and got up, grabbing her coat. “Well, you coming?”

“Coming?”, echoed Babs confused.

“It bothers you. Let's go and see if we can find them and see if they're alright”, offered Tanya.

Babs' eyes softened as she got up. She got on her toe-tips to kiss Tanya's cheek before the two got out of the apartment and downstairs. They slipped out of the pub though the back-door.

“Hey”, greeted Babs softly, smiling.

The kids had come back. Had probably waited for Jessie to leave. The girl glared at Babs.

“It's okay. We don't... Here”, offered Babs slowly, getting two water-bottles out. “I'm... I'm sure you can use something to drink, right? You don't... have to take food out of the trash though. You could come to the kitchen and ask. We have a lot of left-overs. We could just pack them up for you.”

When the kids made no attempt to approach her, she put the bottles down and grabbed Tanya's hand before heading back inside with a sigh. There was no pushing them right now; she wanted them to at least have the water for now. Food was one thing and they seemingly had found enough right now. Once back inside, she leaned her cheek against Tanya's arm.

“We could call child-services?”, suggested Tanya.

“And what good does that do?”, asked Babs doubtfully. “They're not going to... stake-out the pub to find the kids. The most they're going to do is chase the kids away for good and, at the very least, they're getting a warm meal here. Jamie always said that was the hardest thing to find.”

~*~

“Who are you making that burger for?”, asked Chess curiously. “There was no order.”

“Don't worry about it”, assured Jamie before he paused. “There's two kids who have been stealing left-overs from the trash for the past few weeks. I... figured we could leave them something someone else _hasn't_ bitten in yet. Two burgers aren't going to kill the business.”

“...You want fries for that?”, offered Chess with a soft smile.

Jamie smiled at that. He really liked the kid. Okay, okay, okay, 'kid' was a bit of a stretch – Jamie was only three years older than Chess. But Chess had something very... Bambi-esque? For one, Jamie was his boss and also his mentor – teaching him the ways around the kitchen. Chess was excited and eager to learn and it gave Jamie a bit of a big-brother feeling. After all, he  _was_ a year younger than Jessie, so it wasn't the hugest leap. Or so Jamie told himself.

“There you go”, hummed Chess and filled two Styrofoam boxes with fries.

Jamie grinned and placed the burgers in the other half of the boxes. Closing them up, he went outside and placed them on the windowsill outside the kitchen.

~*~

It became a routine that Jamie would leave food outside and it'd be gone in the morning. After a few weeks, he started putting notes in. Just to let them know that it was okay to come inside. To communicate with them somehow. Sometimes, he'd even just talk about himself and the others to introduce them to the kids. He'd leave milkshakes too, occasionally. Water-bottles more often.

When it got colder because autumn rolled around, Jamie found himself leaving a blanket with the food. The weather got worse, it started raining more often and Jamie left a note that the kids were welcomed to come inside and eat there, it would be warm and safe. It had been two months now and apparently they had gained enough of the kids' trust that they followed the invitation, because a very excited Babs came barreling into the kitchen highly excited.

“The kids are here. I'm supposed to get them burgers”, prompted Babs.

Jamie nodded sharply and got to it. After he finished them, he turned toward Chess and asked him to hold down the fort while he wanted to go and sit with the kids. It was the first time he was actually getting a proper look at the kids. The boy was at max ten, though probably younger. He was black, with his hair cut very short – which really was more practical on the streets, Jamie remembered a time of short hair too. He looked nearly lost in his large, yellow hoodie. The girl next to him had lighter skin than him and Jamie wasn't entirely sure but she looked Polynesian.

“There you go. Two burgers and milkshakes. Vanilla and strawberry”, offered Jamie with a smile.

The girl took the strawberry one and the boy took the vanilla one. They immediately started wolfing down their burgers while Jamie sat down opposite them with a smile.

“I'm Jamie”, introduced Jamie himself. What are your names?”

“...I'm Ally”, said the girl around a mouth full of bacon. “And he's Andy.”

“Ally and Andy. It's nice to meet you”, nodded Jamie pleased. “You know, you're welcome to come inside to eat. Or, just generally. When it's raining outside.”

“Why?”, asked Ally warily. “Why would you do this for us?”

Jamie shrugged and leaned forward, arms folded in front of him. “I guess... you remind me of me.”

“Sure”, snorted Ally pointedly, dipping a fry into her milkshake.

Humming softly, Jamie reached out and stole a fry from Andy's plate. “When I was sixteen, my mom died. Our... home... died down with her. My sister and I were left all alone on the streets with no home and no family left, fending for ourselves. I was... older than you, yes. But I know what it's like to live from one day to the other, on the streets, not knowing where to sleep and where the next meal would come from. I've gone a whole week with no food to make sure my little sister ate.”

Ally averted her eyes, like that one hit home for her too. It probably did. She was older than Andy, not by much but by a few years. She felt responsible for him, that much was obvious.

“I... stole. Threatened people. Got in trouble. Nearly got caught by the cops before we fled the country and came to Los Angeles to start a new life”, continued Jamie. “I worked my ass off for all of this. I worked and fought tooth and nail to get off the street. And I know that the streets aren't a place for kids. So, if there's any way I can help you, I want to.”

“We can just... come in?”, whispered Andy softly, sounding nearly afraid.

“Anytime. If you need a dry place, food, something to drink, or just a place to sit”, nodded Jamie.

“What if you're not here?”, huffed Ally. “The owner's not gonna let that fly.”

“You're talking to the owner”, grinned Jamie before nodding over toward the bar. “And that's my little sister. She'll also let you in. When I tell you you're welcome here, I mean it.”

~*~

It was December and pretty cold, even for Los Angeles, when Ally and Andy were lingering in the bar. It was so late already, the last customers were paying up to leave so they could close. Andy was working with a knife on a twig, he was constantly trying to make the perfect slingshot. Ally was drawing something, humming to herself as she listened to music.

“Kids?”, asked Jamie softly, tapping Ally on the shoulder.

They had been coming in for over a month at this point and gotten very comfortable. They had also grown more used to Jamie and the staff – Jessie, Babs, Chess, Ryuu. They were less on guard and even laughed and joked with them. Ally pulled her headphones off and looked up at him.

“Right. Closing time. Let's get going, Andy”, ushered Ally.

“I don't want to”, groaned Andy. “There's this jerk where we're currently staying. He has been making fun of me for days now. I don't wanna go back there.”

“Andy. Stop it”, growled Ally irritated. “It's a good place.”

Jamie frowned, weighting if the time had come. If they had gained the kids' trust enough to offer this without seeming like Stranger Danger and creeps. He just... didn't want the kids on the streets.

“You could stay here”, offered Jamie gently. “Not here in the bar. But upstairs. We have a large pull-out couch in the living room. It's pretty comfortable for sleeping, you know. Had to sleep on it when my ex kicked me out of my own bedroom.”

Ally and Andy exchanged a couple looks and expressions, Andy clearly trying to convince her. In the end, Ally caved and nodded with a sigh. Jamie smiled and led them upstairs, quickly showing them the bathroom and kitchen before bringing them to the living room. He got them pillows and blankets before pulling the couch out for them. He lingered in the doorway until the kids settled in and curled together rather small in the center of the couch. It was just an exception. He was just going to help the kids out, back on their feet and then they'd figure out something for them.

“Night, you two”, whispered Jamie softly.


	3. February 2018: Pictures of the Past

_February 2018: Pictures of the Past_

_(Prompt: Mythology)_

Mythology had always fascinated Angelique. For most her age, it came from TV, growing up around _Disney's Hercules_ and shows like _Xena_. Angel however, she had gotten her passion for it from something else entirely. Her papa worked as a curator at the Louvre. It had always been Angelique's favorite place in all of Paris. The Louvre. She loved visiting her papa at work. And she still remembered, when she had been really little and the only child still, for just how long her papa would entertain her. He would give her private tours in his time off and even during his lunch-breaks when she was lucky. The paintings were pretty, but what had always fascinated her the most were the statues. The renaissance statues of ancient heroes. She would sit in front of them for hours, staring in awe at every detail and listening to her papa tell her the stories behind it.

Her parents had mistaken that interest for her wanting to become an artist. Her mamma had been incredibly excited about it – Adelheide had always been an artistic soul and she had thought she would get to share her passion with her daughter too. Especially considering the bond Angelique shared with her papa over the museum-visits so she too wanted something of her own. She tried a lot, tried teaching Angelique to draw and paint and sculpt, and then she moved on to photography – and that was where they figured it out. Angel hated being behind the camera. But in front of it? Twirling, posing, just like the amazing statues. She wanted to be immortalized posing in fun dynamic ways just like the statues. She loved modeling.

She was sixteen when she took her first modeling gig, after  _a lot_ of begging with her parents. Much to everyone's surprise, she blew up. Then again, she was a delicate, very fair white-skinned blonde with large, blue eyes. She was what sold. All too soon, France loved her. Then, Europe loved her – and then the US did. At nineteen, Angel moved to Los Angeles to work for  _Gold Standard_ .

“You've been even more chipper than usual, Liebling”, murmured her boyfriend. [German:_ darling_]

He had rolled onto his side to wrap his arms around Angel's waist and keep her in place where she sat on the edge of their bed. She smiled softly as she turned to look down at him while he, in snail-pace, crawled up to rest his head in her lap. Gently, she started running her fingers through his wild ginger curls as Sebastian looked up at her with sleepy, bright eyes.

“Did I wake you, mon amour?”, asked Angel softly. “I'm sorry. You should sleep some more.”

“How can I when my girlfriend is looking radiant like a goddess?”, asked Sebastian.

“I look like always”, laughed Angel confused while tying her favorite bow into her hair.

“Yes. Like I said. A radiant goddess”, confirmed Sebastian.

He smiled and buried his face in Angel's stomach while she laughed even louder. “You're such a charmer. Come on, I have to go to work, you have to let go of me.”

“...Can't I just come with you?”, hummed Sebastian. “I love watching you pose. You look so happy and excited when you do. Pretty please?”

“Basty”, laughed Angel and shook her head. “You know you can't. Company secrets and all. No one is allowed to see it before it is all done. Besides... you have work to go to too?”

“I know”, sighed Sebastian. “But it's not nearly as exciting as spending a day with you, my love.”

“Truly, truly cheesy”, commented Angel and flipped his nose.

He grinned up at her. “Okay, fine. You're right. I'm meeting Mel for breakfast.”

“See?”, chimed Angel and reached for her pearl-earrings. “Have a good day, Sebastian.”

“You too. I'll see you tonight”, replied Sebastian and kissed Angel's cheek.

With a spring in her steps did Angel leave the apartment and head to work. She got six drinks from a café on her work there and left one coffee with the receptionist, who always had a smile for everyone. Upstairs, she first went to visit her best friend Joss. Every morning, after waking up, Angel quickly texted Joss to ask for the preferred pronouns of the day.

“Looking grumpy as ever, my dear”, chimed Angel and kissed Joss' cheek.

“Mh?”, grunted Joss, blinking a couple times. “Been here for two hours already. Got to settle a dispute between Lizzy and Aline about color-schemes. Had to navigate... three galas for Miss Gold. So yes, the day started off irritating enough to make me grumpy.”

“Good thing I brought you your favorite tea then”, smiled Angel, handing it to her. “Join me?”

Joss looked contemplative for a moment before he decided that he might as well check in on the biggest project they currently had. With the tea in one hand, Joss got up and followed Angel toward the shooting, where Noxia was already in the middle of barking orders and setting everything up for today's shoot. Angel stopped in front of Noxia and handed her a pitch-black coffee.

“Here. So there will be less yelling”, smiled Angel, kissing Noxia's cheeks.

“...Thank you”, grumbled Noxia. “Go get changed. And make-up. Shoo.”

Angelique smiled knowingly at her before making her way into make-up, handing the next cup off to her make-up artist. Now there were only two left, one for herself and the other – for her partner.

“Coffee”, groaned Tony relieved as he sank into the chair next to her. “Blessed coffee. Thank you.”

“You're a very bad Brit”, noted Angel teasingly. “You should drink tea.”

“Coffee is one of the few things Americans do right”, stated Tony seriously. “_Few_.”

“So snarky. Comes into our country, takes jobs away from hard-working hot American models and then complaining about the country”, noted Noxia _very_ dryly. “Typical Brit. Get changed. Go.”

Tony offered her the most dazzling smile and very slowly took a sip of his coffee. Joss chuckled as he came to lean against the vanity and waiting while Tony and Angel hurried off to get into their costumes. Gorgeous, well-fit classic Greece style but made of fur. Angel looked at herself in the mirror, smiling at how powerful she felt like that, with the silver tiara.

“Artemis and Apollo were always my favorites, you know?”, commented Tony from the changing room next to her. “I don't know, the sun and the moon as siblings, actual siblings who also share something – the realm of celestial bodies and also both being archers. I always liked that. All the other gods were always so... so all over the place, with no real connection or sense to their realms.”

“I always liked the duality of Artemis and Apollo”, tagged Joss on when the two joined the others again. “The strength of the female moon, the softness of the male sun.”

Angel and Tony took their seats again to get their make-up and hair done. “I guess Artemis and Apollo are pretty cool. Though personally, I always loved Poseidon the most. I've always been a fan of  _The Little Mermaid_ and living under the sea.”

“Yeah, that checks out”, confirmed Tony when he side-eyed her.

Joss smiled at them with a thoughtful look. He had to admit, he had always found the Greek gods interesting too. Now even more than before. His fingers round his cuff-link, the one with the Gemini gem on it. Gemini, the former companion of Athena. The gods used to just be stories Joss found interesting because they mirrored a different culture than the one he had grown up in – and in a way, he had liked to dive into a different culture, put a new paint-job on his soul to distance himself from his family and those who had turned their backs on him. But now he looked at the gods with different eyes. They had just been human. Humans, who had bonded with aliens to gain their special powers and abilities, fighting evil and turning into the stuff of legends. Over the millennia, the Zodiacs had bonded with so many heroes throughout different countries.

He watched how Tony and Angel, in full make-up and costume, got ready for their shoot and he watched them. Artemis and Apollo. There was something so fierce and authentic to them that it felt more like a window into the past. Artemis and Apollo were not just myths, pieces of fiction, they had been real people. And Joss found himself wondering, had they looked anything like Tony and Angel, or entirely different? What had the been like, their personalities and life? There was so much to learn and so much to see, not just the present and the past, but also the future.


	4. January 2018: Betrayal and Backstabbing

Title: Written in the Stars – The Zodiac Alliance

Disclaimer : All rights reserved to me.

Warnings : m/m, f/f, m/f, superpowers/superheroes, fluff, hurt/comfort

Main Characters : 

_ Story 4 _ : Carroll 'Carry' Lewis, James 'Jamie' Saint John, Babara 'Babs' Burkhart

Summary : Five oneshots diving a bit more into the characters and what happened before the series.

**Written in the Stars**

_ The Zodiac Alliance _

_January 2018: Betrayal and Backstabbing_

_(Prompt: Superheroes/Supervillains)_

It had been on the first day of the year that Jamie and Babs found their gems. Scorpio and Leo joined their lives and Jamie and Babs started training hard. Physically and with their powers. While Babs immediately fell in love with hers – water! She could control water – Jamie hated his fire.

“Come on. Fire is strong. And _you_ control it”, countered Babs.

They were off, away from people. In the mountains. Jamie had always liked the mountains around Los Angeles. They reminded him that this wasn't England. He glared as he balled a fist and summoned flames. They had put up targets against the mountain-side to hone their aim. It was... moderately working. They had improved the  _tiniest_ bit – in that they actually hit  _somewhere_ on the target by now instead of meters away. That was... progress. Or so the optimistic purple-haired magical girl next to him said. Jamie still couldn't believe Babs had gone full magical girl on her costume. Granted, according to Babs he had 'no room to talk!' because he had gone for the brooding hoodie and the all-leather outfit that showed off skin along the arms and legs. At least he had practical boots though. Babs just rolled her eyes at him at that.

“Oh my god, you are _like me_!”

Jamie and Babs startled at the sudden high-pitched voice. And they startled even more when they saw a woman descend from the sky. Jamie held tightly onto his sword, staring at her warily. She touched down on the ground with one bright-pink high-heel. She was wearing a light-pink dress that was cut incredibly high on the left side, with a deep cleavage. A silver bracelet on each hand, both attached to what looked like a fluffy boa. Red curls fell onto her shoulders as she landed.

“Who... what... are you?”, asked Jamie suspiciously.

“I'm like you!”, exclaimed the redhead excitedly. “I found a pretty pearl a few days ago and then I suddenly had a talking puppy! Oh, he's _adorable_! So endearing! And he told me to become a hero! And he told me there are eleven others like me!”

“And you just... happened to run into us?”, asked Babs, as cautious as her best friend.

“Oh no, that'd be a ridiculous coincident”, laughed the redhead. “I've been scanning the city for suspicious occurrences. The fire-hazard here has piqued my interest.”

She motioned toward the burning targets. And oh. Jamie furrowed his eyebrows at that.

“I'm Scorpio. That's Leo”, introduced Babs slowly.

“And one of you has fire-powers?”, guessed the redhead, while Jamie continued glowering at her. “I have... air-powers. Which include flying. Guess burning something down is more practical, huh?”

She laughed as she twirled a hand, causing a small tornado to whirl on her palm. Jamie narrowed his eyes at that. Though their companions  _had_ told them there would be ten others.

“I'm Libra, by the way. Or, we could just jump to real names right?”, tagged the redhead on with a smile on her cherry-pink lips. “We're a team, after all.”

“We are not a team”, stated Jamie seriously. “We don't know you.”

“What my partner means is that we have to... get to know you first before we can be a team”, interrupted Babs, resting a hand against Jamie's chest to hold him back.

Jamie sighed and rolled his eyes. Though he knew she was right. They were supposed to be a team of twelve, so it was good they already ran into another Zodiac. Still, she was a total stranger and he didn't trust just like that. He looked her up and down very slowly.

We... come here every second night to train”, offered Jamie slowly. “You could join us. We train together, get to know each other.  _Become_ a team.”

“That sounds like a reasonable compromise”, smiled Libra.

~*~

They trained well together. With Libra, Jamie could spar. He had a sword, she had a... he wasn't sure what it was, but it was sharp-edged on all four sides, with a handle at the center of one of the long sides. She wielded it like a knife, it cut from all ends. She was _good_ with it.

After two weeks, they went out to fight their first criminal. A normal robbery, no aliens involved – Los Angeles was actually pretty large and both Jamie and Babs had jobs so they couldn't physically make it to most alien-attacks because by the time the news covered it and they could go and get there, it was already over. Still, they took out three robbers on their own.

“We're good”, stated Babs, laughing high-pitched as she collapsed.

They had returned to the mountain-side where they trained. Babs was laying sprawled out, staring up at the stars. Jamie offered the smallest smile where he sat next to her. Libra took her seat on Jamie's other side. She laughed softly and leaned a little toward him; not against him though.

“This was... exciting”, whispered Libra softly. We really are good. You know, this is... all I ever wanted. To help people. I've been through... so much already. I never want anyone to feel the way I did when I was growing up. No one should, so I want to help.”

Jamie smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. Something about her words was shallow. Empty.  _He_ had been through so much and he never wanted anyone else to go through it, so there was something about the sentiment that he'd  _recognize_ if it was genuine.

“We could... We could exchange names now, right?”, asked Libra with a smile. “We're a team now.”

“No”, grunted Jamie and shook his head. “I can't... Not yet.”

“It's been three weeks”, countered Libra, something strained to her voice. “Come on. We just busted some bad guys. You _have_ to trust me by now, right?”

Jamie narrowed his eyes. “You're so eager for  _us_ to reveal our real identities, but you never volunteer to go first. I just... I can't... Give me  _more time_ . I have-”

“Trust-issues. Yeah”, grunted Libra dryly, balling a first next to her hand. “Trust-issues and you'll _never_ get over them, will you? I'm just wasting _my time_.”

Her voice was cold as she glared at Jamie. He shuddered at that. She always said exactly the right things, with the enthusiastic chipper note that was so familiar to Jamie from Babs. She even knew  _how_ to say things to make them sound more convincing. To appeal to Jamie. That was what didn't sit right for him. It was all  _too_ tailored. Even the things she had said just before, about the hard life she used to have. She knew how to  _read_ someone and how to appeal to them and that was what had rubbed Jamie the wrong way and left him to put her on hold. He screamed wide-eyed when suddenly a searing pain originated from his spine. The last he saw were Libra's dark eyes.

~*~

She hummed as she returned home, taking a couple tissues to clean her bloodied hands. Leo had made such a mess when she had stabbed him. Closing her eyes, she turned off the costume. She turned to look into the mirror, smiling as she straightened her dress.

“What did you do, Carry? You were supposed to _turn them_. Not _kill them_.”

“Oh, no one got killed. Not yet, anyway”, shrugged Carry with a smile while righting her red curls. “He _irritated_ me. I had the urge to stab him. He'll be fine, probably.”

She turned toward her glowering guest and smiled delighted when she saw the  _Vogue_ on the glass-table in her living room, her own face smiling up at her. Oh, she looked good on it.  _Red Queen Records_ producing yet another brilliant singer and her, the founder and head of the company.

“Besides, it was pointless anyway”, sighed Carry dramatically before she sat down next to her partner in crime. “I have an _eye_ for talent. They're not cut out for our line of work.”


	5. Spring 2015: A Liddell Wedding

_Spring 2015: A Liddell Wedding_

_(Prompt: Wedding)_

“I think this is too early. Is this too early? This is too early.”

Lizzy smiled fondly and rolled her eyes at her boyfriend before she leaned in and kissed his cheek. He was behind the steering wheel, driving them to New Orleans. Ricky was truly adorable.

“We've been dating for a year. You met my parents already”, pointed Lizzy out. “And I have spent _countless_ family dinners with your family by now. Don't be like this.”

“Your parents. But not your siblings”, muttered Rick with a frown.

“Because they're always all over the place”, huffed Lizzy dismissively. “Besides, you _do_ know the woman of the hour. My sister insists on you being at her wedding, so you will be at her wedding.”

Rick grumbled though he did shut up. He did know Laureen personally and he also knew the groom – Doctor Charles Jones, their ME. Him and Mike regularly worked close with him. He was rather grumpy and tended to keep to himself mostly. Himself and the woman he loved.

“Besi—ides, you get a private tour of New Orleans from yours truly”, declared Lizzy.

She grinned at him and winked, making him sigh and nod.

~*~

Quanna Liddell was a bright woman, her smile was contagious as she pulled Rick into a hug. Her dreadlocks were put up in a high pony-tail, held up with a purple band that matched her dress. She was curvy in build, very different from Elizabeth and Laureen, both her daughters being more on the insanely tall, skinny side, something they may have inherited from their father Dean.

“It's so good to see you again!”, exclaimed Quanna with a smile.

Quanna and Dean had come to Los Angeles for Thanksgiving, spending it with Rick's family after Rick had invited them. With all their kids having moved out by now, they gladly took the invitation to spend their Thanksgiving with at least two of their kids; Doc and Laureen had happily come too (well, Laureen had, Doc had just glared. Until he had gotten to the pumpkin pie Rick's mom had made and Rick swore he had never seen the big grump _this_ happy before in his _life_).

“You two are going to stay in Lizzy's old bedroom, if you don't mind”, offered Dean.

He smiled and patted Rick on the back. Dean was more the body-type of his daughters. Skinny tall with high cheek-bones. He was so easy going that seeing him always relaxed Rick. Which was a blessing; he had always been afraid of meeting a dad, like an actual over-protective dad type. Dean had just laughed and dismissed him when Rick had first met him and been dreadful of any threats. He had said he trusted his daughter's judgment and if she saw something in him, it must be there.

“Sounds perfect to me”, nodded Rick, relieved he got to share a room with his girlfriend.

“You haven't met our other children yet, have you?”, asked Dean. “Come on in.”

Rick nodded and followed Dean and Quanna inside. So far, from driving through the streets, he had to admit that he really liked this city. The visual of it was great. Inside the house, in what looked like a very lived-in living room (so many decorations – it reminded him of Lizzy and all the small figures and things she collected. Apparently, that ran in the family too), there were already four people. Rick frowned a little confused. He was under the impression that Lizzy and Laureen only had three siblings. He did another head-count. No. There were four.

“Guys!”, exclaimed Lizzy excitedly.

She ran up to them and hugged them one by one. Rick smiled as the tallest man got up to shake hands. “I'm Frank. Lizzy's older brother. And this is my wife Anabel. It's good to finally meet you. Lizzy talks a lot about you.”

Anabel lifted a hand and waved at him. Okay. Frank had moved away from New Orleans ten years ago with his wife, Rick remembered that Lizzy told him that. The second born, being the second one to move out but staying longer at home than Laureen who had moved out at twenty-two, as soon as she had enough money to go and try to live her dream in Los Angeles. That left the two youngest. Henry and Mary. Mary was twenty-one and studying art in... Europe. Somewhere. Rick couldn't remember. Henry was a musician, a singer and guitarist who constantly toured the states, playing at bars and living from day to day (Quanna had spent half of Thanksgiving complaining about that. She  _worried_ about her son. Rightfully so, Rick would probably have a meltdown too if he had a kid and that kid would be out there, traveling and living from day to day).

“Mh. Not bad”, commented Mary, her eyebrows raised as she looked at Rick.

She was shorter than her sisters but somehow still on the more lanky side, her hair put up in two knots, one on either side of her head. Henry next to her slowly pulled his headphones off when he noticed the new arrivals and also turned his full attention toward Rick.

“Not bad indeed”, agreed Henry with a grin. “Very pretty.”

“Guys. Stop flirting with my boyfriend, he's _taken_”, grunted Lizzy possessively.

“It's already late, you must be tired”, sighed Quanna concerned. “You want to go to bed, or eat something first? We did save you some dinner, you know.”

“Ma, I'd never say no to dad's cooking”, stated Lizzy seriously.

Rick grinned as he followed toward the kitchen. The entire family trailed after them too, because apparently late second dinner seemed very tempting. The whole time they ate, Henry and Mary bickered to the point of throwing food to which Dean chuckled and Quanna laughed. It... felt like home. It reminded Rick of family dinners with his own family. So many different personalities.

~*~

The next day was the day of the wedding. Rick had to admit that Laureen looked absolutely breathtaking in her white dress with the soft purple flowers decorating her cleavage and the lower end of the frilly dress. Her bridesmaids were her sisters Lizzy and Mary, as well as her best friend – Sunny Korrapati. Rick had seen Sunny a couple times at the hospital already when visiting injured victims or witnesses, she was one of the top surgeons in New York and, as the nickname suggested, an absolute sunshine personality. She had gone to med school with Charles and met his best friend through him. Now she was the maid of honor at Charles' wedding. That was cute. Rick couldn't wait to have his best friend as his best man at his own wedding. He side-eyed Lizzy and blushed a bit.

The ceremony was absolutely beautiful and the food afterward was _delicious_. Rick and Lizzy were sitting at the same table as the Liddell-family, of course. And aside from them were the maid of honor and the best man... who was a best woman, who was actually _Rick's boss_.

“Uhm. Captain Lacroix. Fancy seeing you here, ma'am”, grinned Rick awkwardly.

The captain looked unimpressed at him. “It's no secret Charles and I are close friends. But if you show  _anyone_ at the precinct photos of me in a dress, I will personally make you give speeding tickets for the  _rest_ of your career, Alfaro.”

“Yes, ma'am”, squeaked Rick and gulped hard.

The captain was really very scary and Rick was absolutely  _terrified_ of her on a good day. There was no way he was  _ever_ telling anyone about how pretty she could look with princess-curls and in a dress. He had ever only seen her in suits and with her hair up in a messy bun and a glare on her face that would only soften the tiniest bit after about five coffees in the morning.

“Amy, please stop threatening the guests”, requested Laureen with a sigh.

“Not when your guest is one of my punk officers”, grunted Amy sternly.

“But I thought he was a good one. Alfaro, you always talk highly of him”, offered Sunny.

She frowned confused as she sipped her champagne, while Amy growled. “That was a private conversation over Monopoly, Sunny. Respect the game night rules.”

“Game night? With the captain?”, whispered Rick doe-eyed.

“Of course”, grunted Doc and rolled his eyes. “You still don't get that she is my best friend. We're close. And me and my... wife... have regular game nights with our best friends.”

Rick nodded and looked from the darkly glaring Captain Lacroix to the grumpy Doc. Best friends. It figured. He could just picture them braiding each other's hair – well, Doc didn't have hair, but still. In all reality, the two probably spent lunch by sitting together and glaring intensely and that... was bonding. Still, the stark contrast between those two and Sunny and Laureen was incredible. Laureen was a pastel-colored pastry chef and bakery owner, while Sunny in her all pink outfit and with her bright smiles alone lit up the whole room. How... did those four fit together into one game-night...? Rick shook his head amused, before being pulled out of his chair by Lizzy.

“Dance with me instead of bugging people”, demanded Lizzy amused.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and immediately everything around them seemed forgotten as Rick got lost in her dark, warm eyes. Everything about this was surreal to him – he was so used to being the one with the family that welcomed everyone in that it was odd to be on the receiving end of such a thing, then seeing two people he was used to seeing at the workplace and with stern expressions both so... soft now (not that he'd ever call the captain that to her face, but in that dress, with that make-up and hair...? She looked  _soft_ )? A large part of him  _really_ wanted to get a picture of the captain so he could show it to Mike –  _he_ would understand why all of this was so baffling! And the idea of the captain and Doc playing Monopoly was just... out of this universe. Parallel universe maybe? Mh. Maybe they had crossed into one on their drive to New Orleans.

“I love your parents. And your siblings are awesome. And this city is... amazing”, hummed Rick. “I'm... glad you took me as your plus one, Lizabella.”

He smiled and leaned in to kiss her, earning a very pleased look from Lizzy. “Boy, you make for a yummy arm-candy of course did I take you with me. You think I want to show up single on my own sister's wedding? Especially on a count-down wedding like this.”

“Count-down wedding?”, echoed Rick confused.

“Frankie was the first to get married, much to no one's surprise. He had his whole life planned out in precise details. Getting married before he was 30 was one of them. Laureen took it slower, but still she is the firstborn so it figures she'd get married too at some point. See the math? Firstborn, second born... I'm the third born”, elaborated Lizzy with an eyeroll. “Oh, don't look like a startled deer I'm not proposing. But it still looks better to at least have a _partner_ on a wedding.”

“And Mary and Henry?”, asked Rick curiously, looking over her shoulder at the youngest Liddells.

“Mary's too focused on her art-studies and the fact that she's all the way in Paris makes it easy to hide whatever she's got going on in her love-life”, replied Lizzy. “For all I know she could be in a committed relationship. She's never been a fan of relationship gossip. And Henry has a new boyfriend in every city he tours. His life-style doesn't necessarily help with long-term relationships. Besides, they will most definitely wait until I'm getting married before worrying about that.”

“You said not to worry, but I do start to pressured”, noted Rick lightly.

“I mean”, drawled Lizzy with a mischievous smile before she leaned in and kissed him slowly. “You are very cute. Steady income. Lovely family that seems to like me alright too. Keep playing your cards right and who knows where our relationship leads us, pretty boy.”

Rick grinned at that and pulled her some closer, close enough so he could kiss her again. Wedding plans were maybe a little too early, they really had only been dating for a year. But this was maybe the most intense relationship Rick ever had and if he was being honest with himself, the thought of Lizzy in a wedding dress was the opposite of scary for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Same as with Matt's family, I just really wanted a moment to showcase them because creating the characters is part of my character design process. The family does shape a person so when I shape a person, I gotta shape their family too.


End file.
